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About the Environmental Industry

The environmental industry includes emerging forms of energy generation, including wind power, solar power, tidal power, biofuels, biomass and other forms of environmentally friendly power generation. Renewable, sustainable energy generation will be the fastest-growing energy sector over the next two decades. From 2010 to 2016, the market is projected to rise from $124 billion in 2010 to $217 billion in 2016. Price volatility, supply concerns, and the environmental aspects of fossil fuels are expected to accelerate the pace of all non-fossil fuel development.

Wind Power Market

Wind power has been growing rapidly in recent years due to various countries adopting the technology and realising the value of wind power as a clean and low cost source of electricity. Between 2009 and 2010, wind power capacity grew by 22.3%. Capacity grew from 74,107 MW in 2006 to 198,203 MW in 2010. Global wind power installed capacity is forecast to reach 718,052 MW by 2020. In 2010 China led the market with an installed capacity market share of 22.6%. China overtook the US with an added 13.8 GW of capacity in 2009. The US is the second largest wind power market with a cumulative share of 20.3% of the global wind power market. Germany is the third largest wind power market in the world with a share of 13.7%.

Offshore wind power is set to be a major segment of the global wind power market. Installations of offshore wind turbine accounted for 1.6% of the global wind power market. Offshore wind power is attractive due to stronger and more consistent winds compare to onshore wind power, as well as having the space to install large farms. The UK, Germany, the Netherlands, the US and China are the biggest offshore wind power markets.

Wind Turbine Market

Over the last decade sales of wind turbines have grown at roughly 30% per year, and wind plant investment is forecast to reach $50 billion per year by 2015. The wind turbine industry comprises a small number of OEMs, although a number of new companies are entering the market. European turbine manufacturers supply most of the global market for utility scale wind turbines. Leading turbine manufacturers include Acciona, Enercon, Gamesa, GE Energy, Goldwind, Nordex, REpower Systems, Siemens, Suzlon and Vestas. The top ten players account for 80% of the market. Vestas is the market leader with an approximate 12% market share in 2010 and a total of 4,719 MW of new turbines installed. Chinese giant Sinovel Wind Group Co., Ltd. was the second largest wind turbine manufacturer in 2010 with a share of 11.6%. The company installed 4,386 MW of wind turbines and gained a 2.3% market share in 2010.

Hydropower Market

The hydropower market has been in resurgence in recent years, although some markets are still heavily restricted. However, renewable energy and greenhouse gas reduction policies will stimulate demand for small hydropower systems. It is estimated that the small hydropower market will be worth around $13 billion, with small hydropower capacity reaching 97.7GW.

Solar Power Market

Solar energy is generated through various technologie; solar PV, solar thermal, concentrated solar thermal/power and concentrated PV. Of the four technologies, solar PV is the biggest market; followed by concentrated solar thermal. In the last five years, solar PV registered 60% average annual growth rate and CSP achieved 8%. Currently, the market for solar PV is bigger than CSP; due to investment, research and development, initiatives taken by the governments, and a number of projects in the pipeline. However, CSP technologies are expected to grow at a faster rate in future as new markets such as China, India, Brazil, Canada, Germany, and France open up. During 2011 - 2016, the CSP market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 44.9% and the solar PV market by 29.9%. At the end of 2016, cumulative installed capacity of CSP and solar PV is expected to be 8.6 GW and 219 GW respectively.

The US solar power industry is a small but growing industry. It has recently been given impetus by requiring local utilities to generate a percentage of their electricity generation from renewable sources. The US solar power market generates some $100 million in revenues, and is set to grow at an annual growth rate of 11% per annum over the five years to 2016.

Biofuel Market

The global biofuel industry has been growing rapidly in recent years. The global production of ethanol and biodiesel is forecast to grow at around 10 annually. The US, Canada, Brazil and Argentina account for 90% of total global ethanol production. In terms of biodiesel production, Europe is the largest producer.